Antimicrobial stewardship resources
The National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) at the Department of Medicine undertakes research focused on evaluating antimicrobial prescribing and improving the quality of antimicrobial use in diverse healthcare settings.
NCAS developed several resources for Antibiotic Awareness Week (18-24 November 2019) which included posters and information-sheets for clinicians and patients:
- Beta-lactam allergy fact-sheets:
- Beta-lactam antibiotics
- Cephalosporin allergies Penicillin allergies action plan for community clinicians
- Penicillin allergies action plan for hospital clinicians
- Penicillin allergies FAQ
- Antibiotic duration fact-sheets:
- For community clinicians
- For hospital clinicians
- Antibiotics in aged care infographic
- Intravenous-to-oral antibiotic switch fact-sheet
- Antibiotic patient information leaflets:
- Ciprofloxacin
- Fosfomycin
- Pristinamycin
NCAS published several media commentaries promoting recent research publications during Antibiotic Awareness Week, on topics such as antimicrobial use in Australian aged care homes, sepsis care improvement and antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial use for children in Australian hospitals, public perceptions about the problem of antimicrobial overuse, the case for improvement of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing, and others.
NCAS also delivered several seminars and training courses in November included a seminar on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing in Australian hospitals; a seminar on antimicrobial stewardship in primary care in Australia and Canada (with the Department of General Practice); and an infection control and antimicrobial stewardship training course for advanced trainees in infectious diseases, clinical microbiology and other doctors.